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Lancaster County (Va.) Records, 1867-1908. Local government records collection, Lancaster County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Va. 23219
These items came to the Library of Virginia in shipments of court papers from Lancaster County under the accession number 50291.
Lancaster County was named for the English county. It was formed from Northumberland and York Counties in 1651.
Lancaster County (Va.) Records, 1867-1908, include bonds, commissions, and oaths; commonwealth causes; judgments; oyster plats; and tax and fiscal information. All items in the collection relate to the oyster industry.
Bonds/Commissions/Oaths, 1879, contains items relating to the nomination of an oyster inspector.
Commonwealth Causes, 1891 and 1893, contains cases of oyster theft, as well as an arrest warrant for a man who bought oysters "in an unlawful measure."
Judgments, 1893, contains two objections from an oysterman regarding the surveys and assignments of others' oyster plots.
Oyster Plats, 1893-1908, contains hand-drawn oyster plats. The plats include the coordinates, acreage, and location of the oyster grounds surveyed, as well as the scale of the plat. Additional information, such as names of the oystermen renting the grounds, the yearly amount of rent paid, and the date the plat was filed in court is also included.
Tax and Fiscal Records, 1867-1890, contains lists of fines, bushel taxes, capitation taxes, tonnage taxes, number of oyster measures inspected, lists of oyster licenses issued, annual licenses, lists of vessels fined for violating the dredger law, single trip permits, oyster inspector reports, and lists of persons who planted/deposited oysters.
Chronological within each series.
Additional Court Records for Lancaster County can be found on microfilm at the Library of Virginia. Consult "A Guide to Virginia County and City Records on Microfilm."